Reading Questions for “Hop Frog” by Edgar Allan Poe
Respond to the following questions thoughtfully and in full sentences. Be sure to use
evidence from the story to support your responses where appropriate. Use a different color
to type your answers.
*Pay special attention to questions #26 and #27. You will need this information for an
upcoming assignment.
Reading Questions
1. Hop Frog is the protagonist in this story because......
2. The King and the ministers are considered to be the antagonists because.....
3. Describe the king's character. Do you consider him a congenial person?
Why or why not?
4. Describe Hop-Frog. What is your first impression of this character?
5. What lesson can be learned from this story or what is the theme?
6. "His value was trebled in the eyes of the king..." "...he possessed a triplicate treasure in one
person." What two words have a similar meaning and what is that meaning?
7. "Come here, Hop-Frog," said he, as the jester and his friend entered the room; "swallow this
bumper to the health of your absent friends, and then let us have the benefit of your invention..." This
caused Hop Frog to cry because...
8. Why do you think Hop-Frog was not fond of wine? What do you think happens when Hop- Frog
drinks alcohol?
9.
Why does the king force Hop-Frog to drink?
10. What does the king do when Trippetta implores him to spare Hop-Frog? How do you feel about
the king's behavior?
11. How does Hop-Frog respond to the king's malicious actions against Trippetta? Why do you think
Hop-Frog avowed his willingness to drink as much wine as desired of the king?
12. List four words from the story that are used by Poe obtain his readers' sympathy for Hop Frog.
13. What is the mood of the story? List four words or phrases from the story that are used to help
the reader determine the mood of this story.
14. List four words from the story that are used to describe Trippetta.
15. Find a statement in the story that is a fact that would prove that the king was a cruel and evil
ruler.
16. What was the reason that Hop Frog ground his teeth?
17. Why was there no chandelier hanging in the room on the night of the masquerade?
18. According to the story, what was the initial reaction of the crowd when the orangutans came
bounding into the room?
19. What materials did Hop Frog use to make the King and his ministers extremely flammable?
20. What made Hop Frog climb higher up the chain?
21. How long did it take for the eight orangutans to blaze fiercely?
22. "The eight corpses swung in their chains, a fetid, blackened, hideous, and indistinguishable mass."
What does indistinguishable mean?
23. What is the climax of “Hop Frog”?
24. What is the conflict in this story?
25. Name one example of foreshadowing in this story.
*26. Decide what kind of man Hop Frog is based on this story. Make a list of at least four character
traits you’ve observed in Hop Frog. Provide supporting examples for each trait. You might want to
create a chart for this answer.
*27. In what ways does “Hop Frog” fit the Gothic genre? List and explain examples of Gothic
elements from the